As this was my first attempt for a project of this proportions it did take a while to get the hang of applying the glass and resins , in two weeks or so the body had taken on its basic shape. Tail lights and turn signals were added and a few base coat primer and the bike was ready for it's first road test.

We had constructed an easy but beautiful control panel that sat between the drivers legs and using its brushed stainless steel end, amperage gauge, voltmeter, key switch and an "on" light the simplicity was at it itself quite elegant. The "on" light was necessary as with the key in the on position and any movement in the throttle at all, the bike was moving. After a few whoops by someone turning the throttle not realizing the key has been on, the on gentle became pretty important.

I must say the first vehicle was indeed a excitement. Aside from the pride of fully understand I had created that bike from scratch the total silence when riding has been unreal. No motor noise together with really only the hum in the tires on pavement produced the ride almost surreal. You were moving right along and making no noise whatsoever. I tested the unit to speeds of sixty five miles per hour on the open road plus it performed flawlessly. Using it about town and between the two the ten miles to work each day, I never ran using welding. The 110 volt mobile charger was plugged in at your workplace all day and overnight in your house and more than taken care of the charging duties.

I used the bike for just two years and as usual a new project came along that drew my attention. The bike was stored within a friends garage never to become used again.

Pete Ackerson
.
Come for a ride down memory lane and take a moment to ponder what was a consideration for you and motorcycling with retro bikes we'd obliterate for!

The Bonnie ruled to look at bought my BSA 350 single within the late 60s. Couldn't afford motorcycle gloves then, so my dad being a welder, gave me a set of welding gloves. They were made of canvas and came close to my elbows, and while i painted them black, they were almost waterproof.

I don't forget seeing an Electra-Glide on the non colored documents telly and thought to help myself how stable it looked having its huge tires and significant clear wind-shield. The cops riding it on the TV show would never fall off that issue. What's more... it experienced electric start! I had to kick-start my rusty ole dunga every single cold morning and hold in the compression key so this lever wouldn't fly back and break my leg! After that I ordered a Beeza Lightning 650 that will started easier and was gentler over the leg, but I always lusted after having a Manx Norton, after seeing one in the TT. The Manx was perfectly designed for the challenging island TT course and also the 500 single had a highly regarded speed of around 130 mph.